Community Bankers Trust Corporation Defers Dividend on TARP Preferred Stock

GLEN ALLEN, Va., Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Bankers Trust Corporation, the holding company for Essex Bank (the "Company") (NYSE Amex: BTC), announced today that it has notified the United States Department of the Treasury that it will defer the November 2011 payment of its regular quarterly cash dividend with respect to its Fixed Rate Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A, which the Company issued to the Treasury in connection with the Company's participation in the Treasury's TARP Capital Purchase Program in December 2008.  The November 2011 deferral represents the sixth unpaid dividend with respect to the Preferred Stock.

Under the terms of the Preferred Stock, the Company is required to pay dividends on a quarterly basis at a rate of 5% per year for the first five years, after which the dividend rate automatically increases to 9% per year. The Company may defer dividend payments, but the dividend is a cumulative dividend that accrues for payment in the future, and the failure to pay dividends for six dividend periods would trigger rights for the holder of the Preferred Stock to appoint two directors to the Company's board.  The amount of the November 2011 dividend that will accrue and be unpaid is $221,000.

Rex L. Smith, III, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "One of the limitations that we have with respect to the payment of this dividend is regulatory approval under the written agreement that we have with our federal and state regulators.  We have continued to address the concerns that our regulators have had, as reflected in the written agreement, and we believe that the improvements and enhancements that we have implemented over the past year are being reflected in the trends in our financial condition and results of operations.  We also continue to remain well capitalized with strong liquidity, and we are taking all steps necessary to recommence our dividend obligations."

About Community Bankers Trust Corporation

The Company is the holding company for Essex Bank, a Virginia state bank with 24 full-service offices, 13 of which are in Virginia, seven of which are in Maryland and four of which are in Georgia.  The Company also operates one loan production office.  Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.cbtrustcorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Company's operations and goals. Actual results may differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the effects of and changes in the following: the quality or composition of the Company's loan or investment portfolios, including collateral values and the repayment abilities of borrowers and issuers; assumptions that underlie the Company's allowance for loan losses; general economic and market conditions, either nationally or in the Company's  market areas; the ability of the Company to comply with regulatory actions, and the costs associated with doing so; the interest rate environment; competitive pressures among banks and financial institutions or from companies outside the banking industry; real estate values; the demand for deposit, loan, and investment products and other financial services; the demand, development and acceptance of new products and services; the Company's compliance with, and the timing of future reimbursements from the FDIC to the Company under, shared loss agreements with the FDIC; assumptions and estimates that underlie the accounting for loan pools under the shared loss agreements; consumer profiles and spending and savings habits; the securities and credit markets; costs associated with the integration of banking and other internal operations; management's evaluation of goodwill and other assets on a periodic basis, and any resulting impairment charges, under applicable accounting standards; the soundness of other financial institutions with which the Company does business; inflation; technology; and legislative and regulatory requirements. Many of these factors and additional risks and uncertainties are described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and other reports filed from time to time by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release speaks only as of its date, and the Company disclaims any duty to update the information in it.

SOURCE Community Bankers Trust Corporation

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